It is disgraceful that female law professionals should be regarded as less competent or not suited for certain types of law on account of their gender. In addition, women of colour often face additional discrimination by virtue of their race, alongside that of gender. This is wrong. 

Article 18 of the African Charter of Human Rights, to which South Africa is a signatory, states that, “The family shall be the natural unit and basis of society. It shall be protected by the State which shall take care of its physical health and moral. The State shall have the duty to assist the family which is the custodian of morals and traditional values recognized by the community.”

Mr President, government should support and encourage all our farmers and farm workers to produce more food for the country and increase their livestock. We don’t want poisonous meat produced in a laboratory somewhere that is now promoted by the global elites. We want real meat from cattle, sheep and goats raised on farms, and not from laboratories.

There is a critical need for a round-table on the plight of vulnerable children, and the urgency for this Committee to increase oversight on the work of the Department in this sector. We have requested a round-table Minister, in Committee, and want to reiterate that call here today.

The central role of the state is to protect its citizens. Sadly, citizens do not feel safe in their homes, public, at schools or places of employment. We see criminal syndicates also targeting our SOEs, such as Eskom and Transnet. We also see so-called construction mafia, preventing much-needed infrastructure being built.

The housing projects intended for the three under-utilised military airports in Cape Town which would provide homes for 67 000 households is mired in the apparent lack of policy coordination between DPWI, Human Settlements, Defence and the Housing Development Agency.

It is not right for rape victims to face their rapists in court before the DNA results are finalised. Detectives should be empowered to finalise cases by providing them with complete forensic evidence. Prosecutors are frustrated when court cases are withdrawn because of DNA delays.

It was a great joy to attend a recent SA Air Force Museum Flying Day at Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing (Swartkop). I was immensely impressed with both the veteran and younger pilots who took to the sky in a number of vintage and new aircraft.

Businesses should be granted a rebate on tax on diesel where it is used for generating purposes. This will go some way to save businesses, many of whom are closing as a result of loadshedding.